Jointed pipe-eojv steam



lL. KIRK.

- vCalr Heater.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

lPatented Oct. 9., 1847.

N P ERS. Fhola-Ihogmpher, Wanhngwm D. C. f

L. KIRK.

Car Heater.

Patented Oct. 9, 1847. y

UNITED srAilnsf- EENT OFmEfgf LEWIS KIRK, or READiNG, rnimvsrnvarua.

JOINT-En PIPE-rolaY sTnAivI, ac. I

f Specification of Letters Patent No. 5,325, dated October 971847. K

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LnwIs KIRK, of Reading, in the county of BerksV and` State oi' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and use- ;tul improvement in the method of connectingV steam-pipes for locomotive steamengines by means of sliding and turningk joints that the engines and b-oiler may be on separate carriages, and that the -following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which Vdistinguishes it from all other things before known and of the manner of making, constructing, and using thel same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciication, in which:

Figure l is an elevation of the pipes showing the .connection between the boiler and engine; Fig. 2 a horizontal section; Fig. 3, a vertical section; and Fig. 4, a cross vertical section taken at the line X X) of Fig. 2. Y

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to connect the steam boiler of a locomotive engine,

placed on one carriage with `the engine placed on. another carriage, that the twocarriages7 which are connected together in the usual or any desired manner of connecting carriages, may be reeto vibrate in any direction, by so constructing the connecting pipe or pipes as to .admit of these motions without leaking or liability to break. And

the nature ot' my invention consists in mak# ing the pipe which is in two parts, One sliding on the other, with theV outer extremity of each part providedw with two curved branches connected by means of packed turning joints with a vertical pipe having a closed journal at the upper end, and an open packed journalk at the other which forms the connection, in one of them, with the steam chamber ofthe boiler, and in the other with the steam chest of the engine; in this way the sliding of the two parts on one another will admit of theY vibration oi the two carriages toward and from one another, the packed joints of the branch pipes with the vertical pipe will admit of a free vibration vertically, and the turning of the short vertical pipes on their two journals will admit of thefree vibration of the two carriages horizontally, while the union of the three will admit of vibrations in any direction, the curved branches of each kpart of the journaled pipe,

v.which form the connection with the vertical-pipes, eiiectually preventing any tendency to break or strain kthe jointsin these parts, while the connection of the two vertical pipes with the steam chamber` and chest Y I Vby the-,two journals effectually protect them v against all tendency to break or strain.

In the accompanying drawings (a) rep- (a) the steam chest of the enginesupposed to be placed on another carriage.V Toithe.

top' of. each of thesey is itted .the'hollowf Yresents the steam chest ota steam boiler,vv Y y ysupposedto be placed onon'e carriage, and I journal of a vertical steam pipe (6,1%), the

joints being made steam tight bymeans of stuiiing boxes (c, 0). The upper end of .these short pipes is closed and provided with a journalthatworks in a bracket, standard or brace (d, cZ) to Yinsure the proper-po sitionxoi' these pipes to prevent them from,

being strained by the motion of the two carriages when the two pipes are connectedl l together as hereafter described. Each of these pipes is provided with two shortk branch pipes (f, 70,) (f f)ropposite vto each other andvin the same line, and

ing boxes (g, g), (g, gk) into the ends of the curved branches (h, main pipe (2T, which is made inftwo parts one sliding inthe other with astuiiiing box, (j) to insure a tight joint and yet admit of,V

thelrY outer ends are received and tted by stutfa, a', ag) ,of the accurate lit` to preventlateral play, andiyet Y j admit of the free vibration of the main pipe in a vertical direction on the branch pipes (f, f), the ystuffing boxes rendering ,the joints Ysteam tight.

The lower yboxes `in* i which the open end of the vertical pipes j turn have a shoulder at the bottom on. whichV the endrof the pipes rest and on which they turn;V the stuffing boxes ,are then put on to vrender .the joints Vsteamtight and yetpermit the pipes to turn, while the'journals at the upper end, working in the brackets or standards, will sustain the pipes against all strain. In this way-itl will beobservedf-that the two carriages, one carryingthe boiler and theother the engine, can'move toward and from `one another by virtuel of the slidingjoint in the main pipe, andV to the extent of the lap of this joint or nearly so-they can vibrate vertically .to follow the undulations of the road by means of the turning connecting the boiler and engine of a loco# joints which form the connections Vof the main pipe with the two vertical pipesthey can vibrate laterally to follow the curves 'of the road and Yto admit of the lateral Surging to which all railroad carriages are exposed, andthey can vibrate ink any direction compounded of the longitudinal, horizontal and vertical by virtue of the slide and the V'vertical and horizontal turning joints; and

what is of great importance in structuresand connections of this kind, the forming of the connections of the main pipewith: the vertical pipes on both sides of these,'to gether with the support of the vertical pipes in boxes at top and bottom, willgive effec` tual protection against the breaking or straining of the joints in all directions, while the steam passages areV retained of the required and the same size in all positions of the connections-resultswhich have not been attained by any other mode of construction and arrangement heretofore known.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the water pipe for returning the hot water from the engine to the boiler, if the steam Vbe condensed for that purpose in the engine, can be constructed on the plan above described In short, pipes for any purpose connecting two bodies, to admit of their vibrating, may be constructed on this plan. fI do not claim as my invention simply motive which are "placed on separate carriages by means of a pipe made in two parts and connected by turning and sliding joints, as this has been essayed; but- 'What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Connecting the main pipe'at each end, by means of two branchesonopposite sides, when this is combined with the sliding joint in the main pipe, substantially as described,

whereby the connections of the main pipe with the vertical pipes, and the Vertical pipes with the boiler' and engine, or other vessels to be connected, are sustained against any tendency to strain or break, and the openings orv passages are retained of the same required size at all times, while the two bodies thus connected are free to vibrate in all directions without interrupting the {iow through the pipe, as described.

f Y LEWIS KIRK.

Witnesses:

ALEX S. FEATHER, WILLIAM BETZ. 

